Short take; 2009 Smart Fortwo

Overall: The Smart Fortwo Passion is a brilliantly packaged, attractive city car that makes sense if you do a lot of commuting, or looking for a second car just to do some small driving tasks. It even works as a daily driver, but freeway merging is to be desired. A good buy, if you buy a good condition car preowned. The prices range from $9K to $14K, depending on the condition and miles. A new one will run you at least $15K, until you adding options.

Comfort: 7/10. Rather surprising, given the car's size. It's a lot bigger on the inside, than the outside. But then again, a lot of small cars these days trick you like that. If this is holding you back from buying a Smart Fortwo, you'd be wrong. The seats are supportive and fully adjustable, and I'd have no problem driving this car more than sixty miles a day. The legroom is fantastic, even for a tall guy like me. It feels very open and airy, partially because of the glass roof giving the sense that this car is far more premium than it should be. It's stellar.

Performance: 2/10. Oh dear. While this isn't a performance car, it's adequate for city driving. The 1.0L 3 Cylinder, rear mounted engine produces 70 horsepower and 68 pounds of torque. Naught to sixty takes about 11 or so seconds. However, given the fact that this car is small and lightweight, it's really like driving a go-kart. Again, it's fine for city driving, because you'll rarely need to go over 55 in most situations, and, you'll manage to pass someone if you give it the beans. The automated manual gearbox, while having some shift lag, gives you a satisfying feel. It feels very mechanical, and I love it. There's an 'auto' mode, and a 'sequential' mode, using the lever or paddles behind the steering wheel. It's brilliant.

Cool: 10/10. Alright, people, pay attention. Whether you like it or not, this car is cool. It's a small, attractive little city car that's perfect for almost all situations. Driving to the bank, picking up your student from school, driving to the park, driving to work, doing light grocery shopping. This car will get you noticed, and you will get smiles and waves. Forget all the haters. You've got your small, hip, little car, and it makes you happy. This car is the end of a bad day. It's even got a cute smile on the front end too!

Quality: 8/10. Not perfect, but it's put together really rather well. All the plastics and other materials used to make this car are pretty good quality, but some things are noticeably cost-cutting, such as the flimsy sun-shade they provide you for the glass roof. The leather seats on the test car are well made, and the leather wrapped steering wheel just felt good. Nothing in this car should fall off or break, at least, for a while. Mercedes Benz knows what they're doing.

Handling; 5/10. Believe it or not, the Smart Fortwo drives and handles like a normal car, if not better. Steering is surprisingly sharp, and with or without electric power steering, parking and making tight turns should be a snap. This is because the engine is in the rear, and there's little weight over the front wheels. On a moderately twisty road, the car performed rather well. It was a little surprising to find out that this thing turns on a dime. Good stuff.

Practicality: 4/10. Well, it's a Smart Fortwo, and it's the size of a small gym bag. I didn't expect this car to be practical in every situation. It's got room for two people, there's a small cargo area behind the seats, a few nooks and crannies to hide things, and there's a storage box that's under the hatch lid. That's it, really. There's no back seat, because there's an engine back there. Also, when you're not driving with a passenger, that seat folds down, for even more room to haul stuff.

Running costs: 8/10. This car produces about 35 MPG on the mixed cycle, so your annual gas cost should be reasonable. The only kicker is that it requires premium fuel, so it might be a little spendy. However, if you do very little driving, you'll probably only need to fill up every few weeks. Also, insurance should be cheaper than a normal car, given its size and the amount of safety this car provides. The initial cost of the car may be a little high at first, but if you're looking for a cute little commuter or daily driver, this is the car to choose! Though, your friends may fight over who gets to ride with you. I'd recommend a calender or organizer.